College: New-look Temple preparing for season opener against Notre Dame

By TOM LAYBERGER, For The Times Herald

Monday, August 26, 2013

PHILADELPHIA — When the Temple Owls open the 2013 season at Notre Dame on Saturday, they will do so with a new identity.

There is a new head coach, five new assistants, a new offensive scheme, a quarterback that has never thrown a pass in a college game and for the first time since 2009, the Owls do not have a running back that has at least one 1,000-yard season on his resume. Temple is also in its third conference in as many years, this season being the first for the American Athletic Conference that features the Owls along with five other Big East holdovers and four former Conference USA programs.

First-year coach Matt Rhule is a truly a Temple guy with six seasons as an assistant in various capacities, under former coaches Al Golden and Steve Addazio. Rhule left North Broad last year and headed north on the turnpike to assist the New York Giants’ offensive line. After Addazio departed for Boston College, Rhule was welcomed back as the popular and sensible choice to take over the program.

The Owls have never played Notre Dame. Given that fact on top of all the changes, when they run out of the tunnel and onto the field under the shadow of Touchdown Jesus, a Hail Mary might represent something more than a desperation end-zone heave.

The 38-year-old Rhule wants to hear nothing of it. As a linebacker at Penn State, huge crowds, storied venues and nationally recognized opponents were old hat. The hat Rhule currently wears has yet to be broken in with respect to game experience. Still, the message he is delivering to his team is one that emphasizes not to let the surroundings take precedent over the task at hand. At least early on, that might be a chore for a group of players that has never played in front of 80,000-plus with a national spotlight.

“I think the biggest thing that we are going to do is to make every part of this experience a fun one,” said Rhule. “This is what you grew up playing for. Nobody was in the backyard throwing the ball around and pretending they were playing Podunk State. You were playing against Notre Dame. When you get to that moment, it’s what you have done your whole life, go have fun.”

At least on the exterior, Connor Reilly is taking it all in stride. Last Thursday, Rhule tabbed the junior from Virginia as the starting quarterback. Reilly beat out Clinton “Juice” Granger, a fifth-year senior who started the final two games of 2012.

“Trying to take a deep breath, count to three and slow everything down,” said Reilly of his reaction when he received the news he will start against last year’s BCS runner-up. “It is definitely going to be a great experience, but once we enter the field on Saturday and the ball hits my hand, it’s just a football game.”

Reilly, who drove in 25 runs as an outfielder on the Temple baseball team in 2012, entered fall camp on the heels of an outstanding spring that was capped with an impressive effort in the Cherry & White game and Rhule’s Pro Spread attack, a far cry from the run-heavy scheme of recent years, suits Reilly’s skillset.

“Coach Rhule’s offense that he came in with during the spring is like a new breath for me, so I was thankful for that,” said Reilly, who stayed away from the diamond this year to focus on football. “Our offense started from the bottom this summer and we have been working our way up the ladder. As of right now, I think the offense is ready to go for Saturday at Notre Dame.”

Freshman P.J. Walker, a North Jersey product who earned several state and regional honors last season, impressed during camp and might see game action this season.

As part of the new scheme, former quarterback Chris Coyer moves to H-back. A bruising runner who thrives on contact, it is a role the fifth-year senior has embraced since the spring.

“I’m loving it,” said Coyer, who started the first nine games at QB last season and has accounted for nearly 2,500 yards in his career at Temple. “I am having so much fun playing for football. I know the schemes real well. I have a quarterback’s view of it, so I know the timing of some of our plays and it really helps me with might route running and blocking.”

Junior Jalen Fitzpatrick (30 receptions) is the leading returning receiver, though no other receiver caught as many as 10 passes last year. Sophomore John Christopher (9) and fifth-year senior Ryan Alderman (5) are being asked to step up. All three are under six-foot. Sophomore Romond Deloatch could nail down the tight end spot.

Cody Booth, whose 17 receptions as a tight end were good for second on the team a year ago, has made a smooth transition to tackle where he will be one of three seniors on an offensive line anchored by sophomore center Kyle Friend.

The Owls’ ground game was in good hands the past few years with Bernard Pierce, Matt Brown and Montel Harris putting up gaudy numbers. Pierce is a Super Bowl champ with the Ravens while Brown and Harris, who spent last season at Temple after transferring from Boston College, had their eligibility expire. The new names in the backfield include starter Kenny Harper as well as sophomore Jamie Gilmore and freshman Zaire Williams.

Among the vital cogs in a 4-3 defense are senior nose tackle Levi Brown and sophomore linebacker Tyler Matakevich. Brown, who started 20 games the past two seasons, has drawn rave reviews from Rhule this summer.

“I am proud of Levi,” he said of the graduate student. “He has down a really good job. He has busted his tail and the team respects him. I expect him to have a big season for us.”

Matakevich had a big season last year that resulted in his being named Big East Rookie of the Year, among other honors. Matakevich, who put on 15 pounds in the off-season and is listed at 230, led the team in tackles (101) and was the first freshman in school history to reach the century mark. He is excited for the opener in South Bend and how the defense is shaping up.

“It’s an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and we finally have a chance to show the world what Temple football is all about,” he said of Saturday’s game. “We have a lot of good players and if we get every guy handling their role and doing their assignment, we will have a very good year.”

Norristown’s Anthony Robey will start at one corner in an otherwise unsettled and young secondary. Robey is the lone returning member of his unit to have started all 11 games last season and the Norristown High product is by far the top returning tackler (41) among the defensive backs. He also led the team with six pass breakups last season.

“Being an older guy in my group of defensive backs, I have to take a leadership role,” he said. “I have to show the younger guys the way.”

Replacing kicker/punter Brandon McManus is no easy chore. The North Penn product had an exceptional career at Temple and was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Colts. Transfer (Albany) punter Paul Layton and kicker Jim Cooper are among those getting a long look.

While a couple of areas may not fully solidify themselves until a couple of games have been played, the reality is that the season is here and Rhule needs his team to be as even keel as possible heading into South Bend.

“Think about six or seven years ago, could any of us really imagined Temple playing Notre Dame on NBC in front of many million households,” he exclaimed. “Now that we are here, let’s not be nervous about it. Let’s go have fun and play.”

***Temple’s first home game is Sept. 7 against Houston. Other home dates are against Fordham (Sept. 14), Louisville (Oct. 5), Army (Homecoming, Oct. 19), UCF (Nov. 16) and Connecticut (Nov. 23). Louisville, with Heisman candidate Teddy Bridgewater at quarterback, is a heavy favorite to win the conference and finish in the top 10.